LIKE THE short history of Princess I did a few posts back, I thought some history of the Celebrity Cruise Line would be interesting and give future posts and thoughts about cruising some context.
CELEBRITY CRUISE lines was originally founded in 1989 by the Chandris Group, a family-owned company that operated so-called "lower-end" cruises in Greece. When an opportunity to acquire exclusive cruise contracts with Bermuda became available, they started Celebrity, as an "upmarket" addition to their existing line. It appears that Bermuda was only willing to award the contracts to "upmarket" cruise lines.
THAT VERY prominent "X" that displays on the smokestack of Celebrity ships is actually the Greek letter chi (for Chandris). Celebrity has maintained that unique mark, and there is no mistaking a Celebrity ship when you see it in a harbor or at sea.
THE ORIGINAL Celebrity ship, the Meridian, was designed to be upscale, with a more luxury-oriented design, reminiscent of the smaller, so-called luxury cruise ships. Eventually, the Horizon and Zenith were added. They were larger ships, and continued Celebrity's trend toward modern design, and food and drink (particularly wine) orientation. All 3 have been since retired. Likewise, the newer, "Century" Class ships: Century, Galaxy and Mercury were introduced during ensuing years, and are now all retired. It is interesting to me to note how many of these older ships did not have balcony decks. They didn't really become a commonplace amenity until the 1990's.
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| Celebrity Zenith |
THE CHANDRIS family sold Celebrity to Royal Caribbean Cruise line in 1997. Royal then established Royal Holdings, Ltd., to manage their holdings as well as to maintain their separate identities. Royal Caribbean Cruises in now known as Royal Caribbean International. It appears to us that they have successfully maintained their separate identities and character. My wife has cruised once on RC. I have not. But we often see them in port. They tend to have a "younger" demographic, and more active amenities, like go-cart tracks, waterslides, and the like, and are known as more of a "party-atmosphere" boat. They also have some of the largest capacity cruise ships afloat today. But they do seem to do that in a pretty upscale manner.
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| Wonder of the Seas World's Largest Cruise Ship |
CELEBRITY, ON the other hand, has continued to be more of an older demographic with their "upmarket" environment. They are perhaps the only larger cruise line that has maintained that approach. And, interestingly, they have done so while remaining very competitive in their pricing. We have not seen significant differences in what we pay for a Celebrity vs. Princess cruise, with comparable ships and itineraries.
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| Celebrity Reflection Copyright Andy Richards 2022 |
TODAY, THOUGH Royal Caribbean Holdings is an American company, all but 3 very small ships in the line are registered in Valetta, Malta, and fly the flag of, Malta.
The Celebrity Solstice, Millenium and Edge Class ships are all registered in Valleta, Malta
FOLLOWING THEIR acquisition by Royal Caribbean, Celebrity embarked on a robust "upgrading" of their offerings. During the Millenium year of 2000, they introduced the aptly named Celebrity Millenium. The Millenium was followed by 3 more "Millenium-Class" ships (now the smallest of their cruise ships - other than the very small "Expedition" class ships used exclusively in the Galapagos Islands): Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Constellation. All of these ships have undergone major upgrades to bring them current with the newer Celebrity offerings. These ships all feature glassed elevators with a view out to the middle of the ship.
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| Celebrity Summit Copyright Andy Richards 2014 |
THE MILLENIUM Class ships offer such upscale amenities as their signature "Martini Bar" in the forward portion of deck 4, and an impressive multi-story wine-tower in the main dining room. The Martini Bar is easily the "draw" of the ship during evenings and at sea days. Oval-shaped and occupying the port 1/2 the of the ship amidships, it is just off the main elevator banks. The bar features an iced surface and though you can find virtually any drink of your choice, it is not surprising that they offer a near-unlimited selection of martini-styled drinks, with plenty of upscale choices for vodka and gin.
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| Martini "Flight" Copyright Lou Krosskove 2013 |
PLACED OFF to the side of a dance floor in the middle of this area, the Martini Bar still manages to be central to the activity - particularly in the late afternoon and into the evening. Yet its setting, as you can see from the photo, still feels intimate. Intimate or not, though, during the evenings, it is difficult to find an empty seat and common to have people standing 2-3 deep around the bar, especially when the bartenders put on their "Martini Flight" show. "Flights" - like the one pictured, are made by stacking a separate shaker for each different glass, shaking them all together, and then pouring them (still all together) in a line, without spilling a drop. It's fun to watch and always a hit at the Martini Bar.
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| Martini Bar; Celebrity Reflection Copyright Andy Richards 2015 |
CAPITALIZING ON its success, in 2008, Celebrity ushered in its newer "Solstice Class" ship. 30% larger than its Millenium Class Siblings, The Celebrity Solstice was soon followed by the Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette, and in 2012, the final Solstice Class ship: The Celebrity Reflection, which was featured in the last post. Innovations of the Solstice class introduced the truly unique Lawn Club (a live, natural grass area on both sides of the stern on the top deck), which offered passengers the ability to participate in lawn games like bocce and croquet. I am not sure this innovation was wildly popular, as it has not been continued on Celebrity's newest "Edge" class ships.
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| Wine Tower; Celebrity Reflection Copyright Andy Richards 2015 |
HOWEVER, I do know the other new addition was wildly popular: The Sunset Bar. A small, oval, sunken bar on the top deck at the stern of the ship, the Sunset Bar may be one of the most popular bars on board (second only - probably - to the Martini Bar). The bi-level seating on both sides of the bar divide into smoking (port side) and non-smoking (starboard side) areas. There are two other small, outdoor (one covered) smoking areas on board, but the draw of the Sunset bar - aside from its wonderful ambience, is that it is cigar-friendly. This is probably one of the prime reasons "I am a Celebrity" today. What a great spot to end a nice day, particularly during the sail-away; watching the sunset, sipping your cocktail of choice, and smoking a nice cigar (can you tell I am a cigar smoker?) ... more about that in a later post. 😊 I know smoking of all kinds is a controversial subject. One thing I like about the Sunset Bar is that the wind tends to carry all smoke off the back of the ship (at least while it is moving) and it is probably the least invasive place for those of us that enjoy a smoke to do so. And, in my experience (admittedly limited to 2 cruise lines), Celebrity gives us some "love." I don't feel the same on Princess.
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| Sunset Bar Smoking Area; Celebrity Reflection - with my best buddy, Paul Copyright Andy Richards 2017 |
LATER UPGRADES to the Solstice class added the Rooftop Terrace (with big screen) and the Tuscan Grille semi-outdoor specialty dining restaurant.
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| Lawn Club Bocce Court; Celebrity Reflection Copyright Andy Richards 2013 |
IN SEPTEMBER of 2018, after 6 years of "resting on its laurels," Celebrity introduced its new, modern, and in many ways innovative Edge Class: No larger in size or capacity than their sibling Solstice ships, the Celebrity Edge, followed shortly by the Celebrity Apex, changed the configuration of the ship. The Sunset Bar was reconfigured and tucked up against the rear of the back of the ship, leaving a large area on the immediate stern for seating and view. The seating area on the port side (formerly the smoking section), was essentially eliminated. But a new, larger and more open smoking area was added to the starboard side, just forward of the stern area seating (and out of view of the bar). Perhaps an improvement, as it is now less crowded and may offer more capacity. The Lawn Club has been eliminated in favor of this newer seating area and the Rooftop Terrace has become the Rooftop Garden and now also features The Rooftop Garden Grill.
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| Sunset Bar; Celebrity Edge and Apex Copyright Andy Richards 2019 |
FROM A nostalgic viewpoint, I miss the intimacy of that sunken bar and the camaraderie of the bar staff (there were usually 3-4 bartenders there working the bar and the deck). You can see from the photos that the older setup is just closer and more dynamic; the new one just kind of, well, more sedate. Don't get me wrong. I won't complain, as they give us a place to smoke, with a sunset view, and the bartenders do a great job of circulating and keeping us taken care of. The currently newest Edge Class ship: The Celebrity Beyond, appears to take some of my views into consideration (though surprisingly, not directly from me, LOL). I have not been on the ship but have looked at the deck plan. It appears that they have again re-configured the Sunset Bar, making it smaller, and though still u-shaped, more reminiscent of the old sunken round bars of the Millenium ships. The bar cants off to the port side slightly, is covered, and appears to offer more seating on the port side. It also appears that the smoking area here, remains on the starboard side of the Sunset area. It is hard to tell, but this appears to continue to be out of view of the bar. It may also be smaller.
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| This photo of Celebrity Reflection is courtesy of TripAvisor |
A SECOND, huge change was a complete redesign and location of the Martini Bar. It is now more of a sitting bar, with access somewhat limited to that seating area around a semicircle. It is set in the middle of the ship in the Grand Plaza on Deck 3, and there are additional seating areas on either side. There is a small performer stage which often has live musicians and that can be nice. Its apparent approach is a more sophisticated, upscale area. The original Martini Bars on the Millenium and Solstice class ships felt just a bit rowdy, while still being upscale (if that makes any sense). Based on my non-scientific, but nonetheless empirical date, I think that the passenger consensus is that this was a bit of a "miss" by Celebrity. The Martini bar remains a popular before and after dinner gathering spot, however.
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| Martini Bar - Edge Class Ships - Celebrity Copyright Andy Richards 2022 |
THE MOST obvious and perhaps architecturally notable change is the big, bright, orange elevator platform on the port side of the ship: The Magic Carpet. This multiple purpose feature is said to be about the size of a standard tennis court. It moves up and down the side of the ship between deck 2 and deck 16. I can be used to serve tender boats but is primarily used as an additional bar on the ship. At night, it can be re-purposed into a reservation-only restaurant. It is a prominent feature now on all Edge Class ships and cannot be missed on observation.
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| Magic Carpet; Celebrity Edge Copyright Andy Richards 2019 |
CELEBRITY SEEMS to have worked hard to create "spaces" on board for people to get away, or at least have different experiences, as well as creating what they perceive as value (as, I suppose, do some of the passengers who embrace them), in the form of "classes." There is an Aqua Class, for example, that has their own exclusive dining room. And on the Edge Class ships, there is Eden, a two-story, quiet space with (additional charge - by reservation only) dining and a bar on the back of the ship on decks 4 and 5.
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| Eden - Edge Class - Celebrity Copyright Andy Richards 2022 |
AND LAST, but certainly not least, presumably a nod to technology and modern innovation: the "Infinity Balcony" was added. With this design change, the vast majority of true, outdoor balconies were eliminated. In their place was essentially a small alcove within the stateroom, with a large window that moves up and down about halfway, mimicking the balcony and railing. Sort of. It is a controversial feature for many. There is a set of doors that you can close, making the alcove seem more like you are outside of the stateroom, and perhaps adding some privacy. We have cruised three times on Edge Class ships, each time with the infinity balcony. We have never closed the doors. To get a "real" balcony now involves an "upgraded" balcony room on the Edge Class ships. All other things being equal, I would prefer a traditional, outside balcony. But there are always going to be tradeoffs, and because we generally spend little time in our stateroom, it is certainly not a deal-breaker for us.
THE NEXT Edge Class ship, the Celebrity Ascent, is due in late 2023. When I was on the Apex in August, there was some discussion among some passengers that the design of the Martini Bar would revert back to something more like the legacy bars of the Solstice and Millenium ships. However, sneak peek looks at the deck plan for the Ascent doesn't look like it will differ significantly from the other Edge Class offerings.
CELEBRITY ALSO maintains it Xpedition Class, with 3 smaller ships. The Xpedition, a formerly 100 passenger capacity ship, was reduced to 48 passengers. The newest ship in the class, Flora is also a 100 passenger ship. The very special purpose Xploration is a 16 passenger catamaran. All three are currently restricted to Galapagos cruises, are licensed in, and fly the flag of Ecuador.
IN DECEMBER 2014, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, a 32-year member of the Celebrity Cruises team, was made president and CEO, making her "the first woman to be named CEO of a major cruise line where she continues to serve in that capacity.
